Artificial tooth.



T. F. GLENN.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH. I APPLICATION FILED APR 7 19 1,163,141. Y I Patentd D 111915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onn oni;

THOMAS r. GLENN, or annnonn, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7,

Application filed April 7, 1915. Serial No. 19,629.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. GLENN, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ardmore, in the countyof Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Teeth, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularly to that class of artificial teeth'which are commonly designated as interchangeable facings, and

is directed especially to the means for deta cliably connecting the porcelain tooth body, comprising the facing, to a bridgepiece, plate, or other suitablemounting.

The principal objects of my invention are,

to provide a tooth facing which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which may be readily removed and'replaced and firmly engaged with respect to its mounting by a rectilinear movement in the direction of the plane of the bite, whereby the opposed relatively angular surfacesof the facing and its mounting may accurately conform without interference.

Specifically stated, my invention comprehends a tooth facing arranged to be connected with a backing, and having its bite sloping labially toward its incisive edge,

which may be protected bv said backing, and

having an anchor recess for the engagement with a suitable projection on said backing disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane-of said bite My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arjEangement hereinafter more definitely speci- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a tooth facing and its backing embodying a convenient form of my invention, a portion of the backing being shown in elevation for convenience of illustration, and the facing being shown in dot and dash lines in an alternate position; Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal sectional View of the tooth and backing shown in Fig. 1,- taken on the line 22 in said figure; Fig. 3' is a central sectional view taken longitudinally through a tooth and backing, having the characteristics of shown in dot and dash alternate position; and Fig. 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken through the termed the shut 9, said ridge-lap and bite being disposed in labially oblique relation with respect to the shut surface 9. The body of the tooth facing 5 is provided in its lingual face with a recess which may be: in the form ofan undercut slot or groove 10 extending longitudinally of the facing, which in the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a broad, fiat cavity 12 having the'edges 13 and 14 of the surfaces 15 and 16 of its lingual wall disposed in a plane which is substantially parallel to the plane of the bite surface 7.

The lingual face of the tooth above deseribed is arranged to be clothed by the backng comprising therelatively angular walls 20, 21 and 22 respectively overlying the ridge-lap the bite and the shut surlines in a possible invention shown in body 5, which maygj-j of porcelain, has? relatively angular ridge-lap' 6,

face ofthe lingual face of the toothfacing body 5. Said backing is provided'with an anchor bracket or tongue 23 which is arranged to snugly'fit the cavity l2 in the tooth facing 5, being connected withnthe backing wall 22 by the relatively narrow web 25, which is preferably arranged to accurately fit the slot or groove 10 in the tooth facing body 5. i

The lingual surfaces .of the tongue 23 are I disposed in substantially parallel relation to the bite wall 21 of the backing, so that the tooth facing 5 may be engaged with said backing by a rectilinear movement from the incisive edge of the backing, gingivally,-

from the position shown in dot and dash lines to the position shown in full lines,

wherein the opposing surfaces of the tooth and its backing absolutely, conform to each other and snugly fit together.

It may in some cases be convenient to dispense with the backing wall 20, for instance, where the facing 5 is employed as an intermediate tooth in bridgework, such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which instance the ridge-lap may abut directly against the gums of the patient. a i

a recess in the form of an undercut slot or' groove 30 forming the cavity 31. The edges 32 and 33 of its lingual surfaces 34: and 35 are disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the bite surface 28, while the labial wall 36 may be of any desired configuration and be preferably disposed to form a wedge-shaped cavity, as best shown in Fig, 3.

The tooth facing body 26 maybe provided with a backing comprising the relatively angular walls 38 and 39 respectively arranged to extend over the bite ,28 and shut surface 29 of said facing body. Said backing is provided with an anchor bracket or tongue 40 conforming to the cavity 31 and connected with the wall 39of the backing by a relatively narrow rib 41, which is preferably arranged to snugly fit the slot or groove 30. In this form of my invention, as in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tooth facing 26 may be directed, as shown 'in dotted lines, from the incisive edge ofthe backing, gingivally, to the position shown in full lines in Fig. '3, with the lingual surfaces 34 and 35 of the cavity 31 in contact with the corresponding lingual surfaces of the tongue 10, and the lingual.

surface of the bite 28 in contact with the labial surface of the wall 38 of said backam aware that various forms of tooth facin s have been devised wherein attempts have been made to so form the backing and facing as to provide a rigid engagement of said facing with said backing, and to provide for protecting the incisive edge of the facing with an inclined bite' protecting plate, but so far as I am aware, no such tooth structure has been devised that may be engaged -with the backing byfa rectilinear movement in a plane parallel to the plane 4 of the bite and wherein the anchor member and bite protecting member cooperate. to guide the facing into its final position.

- It is to be understood that the gingival wall 20, shown in Fig. 1, may be omitted,

provided with such a wall without in any ,way affecting the utility of the backing as tial features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A tooth having its lingual face formed of relatively angular surfaces comprising a shut and a rel-ativelyoblique bite, and provided with an undercut recess in-the shut surface, and having the edges of the lingual surfaces of said recess disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the oblique bite surface of said tooth.

2. In a tooth, the combination with a facing having relatively. angular shut and bite surfaces, and an undercutrecess in said shut surface having the edges of its lingual surfaces disposed in a plane substantially parallel to said bite surface, of a backing for said tooth having relatively angular walls conforming to the lingual face of said tooth, and having a tongue substantially conforming to said recess and con nected in oblique relation to one of said -or that the backing shown in Fig. 3 may be l walls by a relatively narrow web, and eX- ranged to engage a suitable anchor recess in said tooth facing, and which is connected in oblique relation to one of said walls and disposed substantially parallel to the other wall.

In witness whereof, I have'hereunto set my hand this 6th day of April, A. D., 1915.

THOMAS F. GLENN.

l/Vitnesses:

WVILLIAM J. RU-ssELL, CLIFTONG. HALLOWELL. 

